Where Did All The Good Young Keepers Go?

Being a keeper requires more than simply a love of shooting; Will Pocklington asks three old hands what they look for in new recruits

- Duncan Ireland; Paul Quagliana

Every year the ranks of the gamekeeping profession absorb a new cohort of young recruits. But how many have what it takes to enjoy a long and successful career?

According to many keepers, there’s a real shortage of quality prospects coming through — and that’s been the case for the past 10 or 15 years; it’s not a recent phenomenon.

No doubt a great deal of keen youngsters, having spent much of their childhood rabbiting, working their dogs, shooting pigeon and beating on the local shoot, quite fancy the idea of being a gamekeeper — and who can blame them? At first glance, a life outdoors with ample opportunity to scratch that sporting itch is very appealing. The reality, though, is quite different — particularly for those just starting out.

And that seems to be the first major stumbling block when you speak with the keepers who’ve been there, worn the tweeds and now manage teams of beatkeepers and underkeepers themselves; a firm grasp of what the role actually entails from the off is key and something a lot of trainees lack. In the same way a passion for fine dining doesn’t automatically render a person fit for a career in chef whites, a love of shooting alone isn’t enough if you want to cut it as one of the UK’s 3,000-odd full-time keepers.